It is not just good graphics and smart copy that make you relevant on Instagram. Instagram is moving very fast, and whatever was exceptional in 2018 will not be exceptional in 2019. Desire to be more widely read and really dependent? You need to know how Instagram can randomly determine the appearance of the various forms of posts in the feed of your followers.

These principles of this invisible algorithm determine not only the visibility of posts on the feeds but also the priority in which stories and reels, at least sometimes ,even DMs, are ranked and assigned. This week, we are going to explain five powerful algorithms that already impact on your Instagram strategy nowadays. These algorithms will make your reach 10x and allow you to interact with your target audience without attempting to figure out what is currently working on Instagram.

1. The Feed Ranking Algorithm

Most people first notice your posts on the main feed of Instagram, and therefore, it is useful to know how the algorithm decides which posts appear. They are not being completely random- the feed is a fine balance of what the users seem to enjoy, the user behaviours, and how your particular contents stack up against the barrage of user-generated content. In case you want your posts to be seen by more people, you must learn how the algorithm works.

What Influences Your Spot In The Feed

Every bit of content is fighting over a finite number of places on the feeds of the followers, so when your follower signs into instagram, the algorithm has a job to pay attention to

The following are the main aspects that influence your content to be displayed:

• Engagement History: In the case of someone constantly liking or saving your posts, the algorithm will be more likely to deliver your posts to them.
• Content Type: The fact that it combines images, videos, and carousels is one of the things that matters. The algorithm should know what kind of content your viewers are interested in.
• Timing: The post timing is critical. The newer posts receive greater attention, thus some factors such as reach can be influenced by the time of the posting.
• Watcher behavior: The application is tracking what users are hovering, or streaming, and how long your content is being viewed.

The more your followers react to your content, the greater your chances of appearing. It is as though being asked to come and sit at the table of cool kids in a noisy cafeteria because you communicate well and maintain topics. 

Reels Discovery Algorithm

We all love seeing the little heart icon turn pink, but these days, a simple like won’t get your post or brand much attention. Instagram values “saves” and “shares” much more highly, as these are indicators that your content is worth saving or passing along. If you want to be present at the top of feeds: 

• Create save-worthy content: Think of tips, guides, or visuals that people will want to come back to. 
• Encourage shares: Create statements or make creative hooks that followers will want to share with friends. 
• Cultivate meaningful engagement: consider a comment that is more than just a quick emoji. 

When followers take an action or a step beyond just liking a post, then Instagram learns that it has meaning. That’s how you keep from getting lost in someone’s open-ended scroll. Instagram Reels are drastically changing how users experience new content. The Reels tab isn’t just a random feed of content; it’s curated by a discovery algorithm specifically designed for that tab. 

The algorithm is based on engagement signals to keep the user engaged. If you’re trying to increase the chances of visibility or going viral, you need to understand how that algorithm works.

The Key Signals That Drive Reel Reach

Instagram’s Reels algorithm is paying attention to user interaction behaviors. I like to think of the algorithm as a smart engine that champions certain content based on what it feels resonates with its audience.

So, what does Instagram value in the Reels tab?

• Watch Time: In a perfect world, Reels keep users watching till the end and ideally watching again, or at least a percentage of users do. If users consistently finish your Reels or come back to rewatch them, there is a good chance the algorithm is seeing that as strong content.
• Completion Rate: When it comes to a user finishing a Reel, high completion rates demonstrate that your Reel held attention the entire way through.
• Shares and Saves: When people pass along your content privately or save it for themselves for later, they are adding tremendous value.

Smart Tips To Maximize Your Reel’s Reach

Ways to get your Instagram Reels on the Explore page or show up in people’s feeds are to start strong. You want to hook your audience in the first two seconds. Use quick visuals, surprising moments, or make punchy statements immediately after starting your Reel. Viewers are making decisions quickly about what to continue to watch or scroll past, so don’t warm them up. From the start, your priority should be to capture attention and make them stop scrolling.

Beyond that, you can encourage interactions to receive engaging comments for your IG reels from your viewers. For example, ask a silly question, ask for opinions on things, or prompt comments in a reel’s comments. Each engaging action sends huge signals to the algorithm. The number of comments your Reel receives can have a direct correlation with the chances of reaching new users, so make sure your trending audio, effects, or memes are useful for your message and only elevate, not distract from it. 

Lastly, help those Reels be more watchable by adding captions and cutting as much fluff as possible. Many users scroll through Instagram while muted, so captions provide clarity and accessibility of your message. Cut any dull, slow, or repetitive moments from your content to keep the audience from tuning out. On Instagram, inviting positive and authentic reel comments will keep viewers engaged is your best shot for a wide reach.

3. Explore Page Algorithm

The Explore page is where new content and new accounts appear to users who don’t already follow them. If your content shows up here, it could create a major influx of likes, followers, and shares. Instagram’s Explore page is not some randomly assigned homepage of rubbish. Behind the curtain, the Explore page has its algorithm that focuses on relevancy, eye-catching visuals, and the amount of time a user interacts with your content.

If you truly want to reach the people outside of your current audience, you need to be found by that system.

Why Early Engagement Gets Posts On Explore

Think of Instagram’s Explore page as a user-driven “dating app” for new posts. The “For You” page is a unique mix of content in the form of Instagram collages, created from what users have previously liked, saved, and viewed on Instagram. The algorithm does not just take a guess. The algorithm first recognizes what type of content you and users who exhibit similar viewing habits like, and finds similar content. Here are the most important things the algorithm is taking into consideration:

• Your Past Behavior: Instagram does a look back at your history; how you liked a post, saved a post, commented on a post, and the posts you have interacted with the most. Instagram uses your previous behavior to recommend accounts and or hashtags that you may be interested in.
• Topics of Content: If you have shown interest in food videos or art tutorials, or travel shots, similar content is going to show up more often with you and other people with similar interests. 
• Your Engagement with the Account: When there is a lot of swiftness to a post (saves, shares, comments), it gets flagged by Instagram as “hot.” Instagram will recommend it to other users, even those who do not follow the account with the original post. 
• Visual Clarity: If the post provides clear visuals with bold colors, these types of posts are going to get selected to show on the Explore page.

Instagram has a mission to create a feed that feels familiar to users, while still leaving them surprised with what they discover (your brand). When your post ends up on Explore, it is because it meets both criteria for users who can relate.

Why Early Engagement Gets Posts On Explore

When your post gains traction in the first hour, your post is sending strong signals to Instagram, indicating that people care about your content. Early engagement means a lot more than ordinary random posts continuing to gain likes over several days. The algorithm is always looking for signals that the content is resonating with your audience.

Why is this important? Instagram will leverage posts that feel like winners from the beginning of the post. Early signals indicate to Instagram that the content they have posted is holding assumptions that raise the user’s attention and spark a reaction, which encourages the system to test your content to new eyes.

There are many different avenues to prompt early engagement, including:

• Encourage users to engage immediately after you have posted.
• Share your post to stories the moment your post goes live. Responding promptly to every single comment, maintaining the dialogue.

Those tiny acts already tell Instagram that your post warrants a bigger reach.

4. Stories Prioritization Algorithm

Instagram Stories serve as your highlight reel and allow you to roll out updates, behind-the-scenes access, and quick thoughts! The order in which you see Stories is not random; Instagram has a Stories Prioritization Algorithm in place to place your favorite accounts at the front of the queue. That means, if you want to keep your brand or personal account at the top of everyone’s list, it would be best to understand how this works. You don’t have to guess—Instagram’s decisions aren’t impossible to track once you understand what to consider. 

How Instagram Decides Which Stories Show Up First

Every time you open the app, Instagram evaluates everything you do when watching Stories. The stories you see the most upfront are from people (and brands) you interact with the most. Instagram’s story order is based on your practices, not just on a numerical timeline of new posts! Below is what the algorithm considers:

• Direct Messages (or DMs): If you DM with someone regularly, their Stories will be at the front of your Stories History.
• Story Reactions: Quick reacts (heart eyes, fire, for example) cause the algorithm to highlight that Story as important for you to engage with.
• Polls and stickers: When you tap polls and respond to question stickers, Instagram recognizes that you are interested in that creator’s content.
• Profile visit: If you visit someone’s account, their next Stories will likely move to the front of history as well. Stories create a feedback loop, and the more you engage in tapping, messaging, or leaving a reaction, the higher those accounts will rise in your story’s queue.

Signals That Matter Most

Generally, you incentivize your followers and/or fans in their story feeds every time you get them to engage. The algorithm takes certain actions more seriously than others:

• Replying to Stories: Getting your followers to reply puts you front and center.
• Media Shares: When somebody shares your Story with a friend, it shows that they were more than just investing in watching; they care about you.
• Watching to the End: If your audience rarely swipes away before watching your Stories to the end, then Instagram assumes that is a win.

If you would like to remain top of mind, find ways to inspire these types of actions.

5. Hashtag Performance Algorithm

Hashtags are not just extra toppings you sprinkle into a post and hope for the best. Instagram has an algorithm that tracks the performance of every hashtag that you use, and it’s growing artificial intelligence to decide which hashtags improve your reach and which hashtags keep dragging you down. This algorithm looks at how hashtags behave together across accounts, what groups of hashtags you use together, and how users respond to your post. Understanding how the hashtag performance algorithm works can keep you out of hash trouble and keep your content where you want, in front of more users.

Not All Hashtags Are Created Equal

The old model of just adding 30 hashtags in a post is gone. Now, Instagram’s AI checks every hashtag’s history and behavior.

It filters effective hashtags from ineffective ones, and even more dangerous ones that will lead to shadow banning.

There are a variety of hashtags:

• Popular: These are useful to bring a big volume, but not great if they are crowded. For instance, #love, #instagood, or anything related to #tbt.
• Niche: These are tags that target a small audience or connect with a targeted group. For example, #veganrecipes or #minimalistdecor.
• Banned or flagged: Some hashtags (even ones that sound innocent) have risky content hidden behind them. Breaching their hidden content might lead to your post being flagged for review or Instagram limiting its reach.

The algorithm is aware of how hashtags are used and by who utilizes they are utilized. There is a difference between attributing your work to a certain user group and iterations of the same generic hashtags or using hashtags that are spam-like behaviors. If every time you have the same group of hashtags, Instagram will know you are not tuning content for your relevant community, and once again, the algorithm will have been trained to restrict the exposure for the post.

Shadowbanning And Hashtag Grouping Effects

Shadowbanning is not a myth; this is common knowledge. Shadowbanning happens when the algorithm finds problem hashtags or sees a pattern in usage that is a pattern of the same group of public, repetitive, spam-like behaviors. With a shadow ban, your posts will be buried behind hashtags in search results and never receive the reach you expected, with no notice.

The 2 main problems raise red flags:

1. Your hashtag grouping is repeated each time. Instagram wants you to mix up your hashtag groupings and see variations and results, not copy and paste messages to the platform.
2. You add banned hashtags or even overused hashtags. Instagram knows which tags have been exploited by bots, spam, or malicious activity, and any feeling that triggers algorithmic protection functions.

You can see a drop-off in engagement very quickly. The duration of a shadowban could be anywhere between a few days to several weeks, with your risk being flagged just once. The point is for you and your hashtag use to mix it up and stay clear of dubious groups of hashtags.

Conclusion

The Instagram algorithmic systems are not barriers; they are blueprints for growing your audience reach and increasing engagement. Once you identify the system, your content can have every chance to make an impression and not go into the black hole of the app.

Building an audience is not about finding new ways to beat the app; it is identifying behaviours that work for you and creating content that leverages those signals toward your next post. Review your analytics every week and start reporting iterations that work. That little habit keeps you ahead of the game is useful to embrace that possibility, even if Instagram throws you a curveball.

If you want to keep building an audience, work with the engagement progressions of the algorithm; this will ensure your reach continues to expand. Thanks for reading. It’s greatly appreciated. If you enjoyed the guide, share your favourite tip with your audience or tag someone if they are looking for growth.

Author bio

Phobe Andro is an enthusiastic Social media specialist who works for Riselikes.com. She possesses solid strategic abilities for creating and running social media campaigns. She relishes the chance to work together with social media leaders and loves building new relationships.